Photo property of St. Ann’s Warehouse Facebook page
“When intoxication feels like the only way to survive the modern world, how can she ever sober up?”
That’s a description for Duncan MacMillan’s hit play “People, Places & Things,” which is showing through Dec. 3 at St. Ann’s Warehouse, a theater tucked underneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York.
The play revolves around the character of Emma (played by Denise Gough), an actress who decides to confront her addiction and goes into treatment.
MacMillan told the Huffington Post that he’s heard a few accounts of people seeing the play and deciding to get sober that day, but adds that he knows it takes a lot more than theater—no matter how good it is—to change a life. “It takes huge willpower and support from other people,” he adds.
Meanwhile, Gough discussed addiction in an interview with The New York Times. “Do you know someone in your life that has addiction issues? So does every single person in this room, yet it’s so shrouded in shame. Duncan tapped into our need to connect with each other about that stuff.”
The reviews have been glowing.
The New York Daily News praises Gough, calling her work an “explosive, wildly emotional performance. She is matched by a visceral, pulsing production.”
Time Out London (where the play was first run) calls it “Powerful. Provocative. Thrilling.”
And The New York Times calls it a “thrilling, devastating play [that] leaves you scraping the insides of your soul looking for your own.”
Addiction is one of the eternal struggles that humanity faces. But so often we feel alone in our recovery. While it is just a work of fiction, “People, Places & Things” reminds us that we’re not alone—and that the fight is worth it.
Hope at The Raleigh House
The Raleigh House is a residential treatment center located in Denver that believes in a comprehensive approach to recovery. Breaking free from addiction is not just about giving something up. It’s about building hope for a new and vastly better life. Fill out our form or call today to learn more about our drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs.
